Rangers bringing former local high school star back home

Chris Martin had two bumpy seasons in the majors before finding success the past two seasons in Japan. Ron JenkinsStar-Telegram

Chris Martin had two bumpy seasons in the majors before finding success the past two seasons in Japan. Ron JenkinsStar-Telegram

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.

Right-hander Chris Martin, the former Arlington High School star, will becoming back home and back to the major leagues.

Martin turned two terrific seasons in Japan into a two-year, $4 million contract with the Texas Rangers. It will be the next step in a winding baseball journey for Martin, who was drafted in 2005, but was out of baseball because of a shoulder injury and working various odd jobs before picking up a ball again.

He landed a job with the Grand Prairie Air Hogs in 2010 and then was signed by the Boston Red Sox and made his way up through the minors before the Colorado Rockies acquired him and gave him in MLB debut in 2014.

Martin pitched with the New York Yankees in 2015 before going to Japan, where turned mediocre big-league stats (0-2, 6.19 ERA in 36 1/3 innings) into a combined 1.12 ERA over two seasons and 92 appearances as a teammate to Shohei Ohtani with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.